If you want to strike up a conversation with someone, there are many ways to do it. You could make a comment about the weather, give a friendly compliment, or ask an opinion about a current event. But if you want to make a connection that’s just a little deeper, if you want a conversation that might include some thoughtful introspection, you might consider asking a question like “Have you read any good books lately?” You can find out a lot about a person if you know what books he or she has read. That’s because books can change us—they mold our view of the world and help us to find answers to life’s questions, big and small. Sometimes reading is seen as an escape from the realities of life, but actually the opposite is true. As one writer put it, “Reading isn’t just… how I reset and recharge. It isn’t just how I escape. It’s how I engage.” He went on to observe that good books, like old and trusted friends, can help us through hard times, teach us to look at life from another’s point of view, and remind us of truths we always knew but have somehow forgotten.While most reading is done alone, reading also has the power to build bridges between people. A father and son chose to read the same series of novels, and this keeps them talking with one another. A young mother has come to learn that gathering children around her and reading a story is one of the best ways to stay connected. This is why some book clubs meet monthly for years on end, bringing people together to talk about what they are reading—and more. Reading opens new worlds, new experiences, and new perspectives. It’s a way to learn, to be challenged, to be entertained, to be inspired, and to make meaningful connections. Books of fiction can change the way we look at reality. Books about history can help us rethink our present—and our future. And sacred books can elevate our thoughts and bring us closer to the divine. So maybe every once in a while we should ask ourselves the simple question “Have you read any good books lately?”

-Lloyd D. Newell

April 23, 2017Broadcast Number 4,571

Mormon Tabernacle ChoirOrchestra at Temple Square

ConductorsMack WilbergRyan Murphy

OrganistRichard Elliott

HostLloyd Newell

How Firm a FoundationJ. Ellis, arr. Mack Wilberg

He Shall Feed His FlockJohn Ness Beck

How Excellent Thy Name, from Saul George Frideric Handel

The King of Love My Shepherd IsIrish melody; arr. Robert Cundick

Bound for the Promised LandAmerican folk hymn; arr. Mack Wilberg

Over the Rainbow, from The Wizard of OzHarold Arlen; arr. Arthur Harris